Will proposed legislation “arbitrarily and disproportionately restrict the right to assemble peacefully.”? The potential restrictions range from a ban on street protests and a prohibition on non-citizens and citizens under 21 years of age to assemble peacefully, to conditional access for media to public gatherings. The concern has been expressed by an independent group of UN experts and their views were made public through a “Press Release” from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. “Many of these restrictions are not justifiable under international law. Neither the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), nor civil society was meaningfully consulted in the drafting of this Bill.” said the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai, Malaysia has also been embroiled in a migrant arrangement/controversy in conjunction with Australia that has brought human rights and international law considerations into discussion. Read: - “Australia-Malaysia Refugee Deal” - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/films/blog_post/australia-malaysia-refugee-deal-by-ambassador-mo/32570 “According to the proposed legislation, which contains a vague definition of assembly, there would also be broad restrictions and conditions on gatherings and a restrictive notification procedure. The Bill gives excessive authority and power to law enforcement officials and the Minister in charge of home affairs on matters related to assemblies, as well as full discretion to the police to make any form of recording of assemblies. “ (OHCHR Press Release). The Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression, Frank La Rue, urged the Government of Malaysia to seriously reconsider the adoption of the bill, which would contravene international human rights standards. “The ability of all individuals to express themselves freely, including in the form of peaceful assemblies, is a litmus test for the level of democracy in any country,” he said recalling a previous call of concern on the Government’s response to the Bersih 2.0 demonstrations in November.* The group of UN independent experts warned that “with this legislation, people in Malaysia may not be able to express their dissent in public spaces without fear of being detained or sanctioned.” The experts all report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in an independent and unpaid capacity – ---Maina Kiai, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; ---François Crépeau, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; ---Margaret Sekaggya, the Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders; ---Frank La Rue, Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression. By Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey Facebook Become a Fan at “Diplomatically Incorrect” Twitter – Follow at DiplomaticallyX “WarCrimesJustice” Channel - diplomaticallyincorrect.org/c/war-crimes-justice